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Chapter 13

~X~

The journey to Dale was rather uneventful, yet Réann enjoyed it immensely. For other than their ill-fated ride in the woods, which ended rather abruptly, this was the first time she had been out of the mountain. And getting to see a city of men was definitely something she was going to be writing home about.

The walls were impressive, yet with Erebor as its neighbor, she could only imagine that the dwarves had a hand in their construction. And while many of the citizens had already retired for the evening, as they rode through the streets, the few people they encountered seemed very friendly, even waving to them as they passed. Granted, she and Dwalin had raised their hoods in order to conceal their identity, but Nori and Galin returned the gestures with eagerness and wide smiles.

Before Réann had a chance to take it all in, they arrived at King Bard's keep, a strikingly tall building of sturdy construction, as well as ornate decorative carvings. It was nothing overly fancy, but it certainly fit the personality of the man she had met in the woods the previous day. They had hardly dismounted when the large front doors opened, and there stood the king himself, hands on his hips and a grin on his face.

"Commander Dwalin, I see you made it after all," he laughed. "And Lady Réann, I'm so delighted you could come as well."

"As if we had a choice," Fili mumbled quietly to himself as he took Réann's hand and made their way up the steps. "And as you requested, I brought along my brother…Galin. You do recall him, do you not?" Fili could tell that Bard was easily managing to keep up with each new aspect of the ruse being thrown at him, thus he gave the disguised Kili a seamless nod in greeting.

"Ah, yes, Master Galin," he said, barely recognizing his old friend Kili beneath his disguise. "My children will be pleased that you have come to visit. It's been far too long."

"Yes, I agree," Kili nodded, reaching behind to place his palm on his lower back, acting as if he were suffering from sore muscles. "Yet, at my advancing age, it's difficult for me to ride such distances these days. Still, I count a visit to the King of Dale as a privilege, aches and pains be damned."

Fili could tell that Bard just about lost his composure, having to cover his mouth with his hand in order not to burst out laughing. He had to hand it to Kili, for his younger brother was taking on his role with gusto.

"And who else have you brought with you, Master Dwalin?" Bard inquired, eyeing Nori skeptically, not quite sure what name he might be going by.

"What? You don't recognize me, Your Majesty?" the former thief asked in mock alarm. "And after all we went through; I would have hoped you would have remembered your good friend Nori."

"Ah, yes, Nori," Bard nodded. "Forgive me. For the light out here is dim, and my eyes are not what they used to be. Please, all of you come inside."

Fili was now finding this more amusing than he had thought it might be, for to hear Bard forced to bring his eyesight into question – being the most skilled bowman around – did indeed have its merits.

"King Bard," Réann broke in, reluctant to enter his home while still wearing the trousers she had come in. "Is there perhaps a place I might change? I didn't wish to wrinkle my skirt during the trip, and I would very much like to freshen up and redress before enjoying your fine hospitality."

"Of course, my dear," he nodded, ushering them all into the entryway before asking one of his female servants to escort Réann to where she could tidy up and dress.

Once she was out of earshot, he all but rushed them into the main living area, where they found Bain, Sigrid and Tilda waiting anxiously.

"Now, before Mistress Réann comes in, we need to go over a few things," he warned his children. "As I said, Fili is to be called Dwalin this evening. And it would appear that Kili is now someone called Galin." Here he gestured to the dark-haired prince, who at this moment looked very little like himself, and a great deal like Thorin.

"That's right," Kili grinned. "I'm Galin, son of Fundin, older brother to Dwalin." He then gestured to their third companion. "And he's just plain old Nori."

"Plain old Nori?" the offended dwarf balked. "I've never been plain old anything in my life."

"Of course not, Master Nori!" Tilda stated, standing up and rushing over to give him a hug. "You're the very best spy and thief ever!"

"Awww, at last a lass who appreciates my special skill-set," he beamed, patting her head affectionately.

"I think we all appreciate your talents, Master Nori," Bard told him, giving Tilda a worried look. "However, I have to say I do hope my daughter doesn't admire your profession so greatly that she chooses to follow in your footsteps."

This had everyone laughing, with both Bain and Sigrid also rising to greet their dear friends. Each one promised to keep up the ruse for the evening, all eager to meet the dam that had prompted all this.

"Kili…er, I mean, Galin," Bain said, circling the dwarf with an impressed look. "However did you manage such a thing?"

"A bit of fake hair, some glue, a sprinkle of flour…and some odd concoction that Oin gave me to age my voice," he explained, proudly gesturing to each item as he spoke. "Pretty amazing, isn't it?"

"Very!" Sigrid nodded, reaching out and touching his beard gently, giggling when Kili pretended to try and bite her fingers when they got too close to his mouth. "I think you look very handsome this way, Master Galin. Very handsome indeed."

"Well, maybe one day, when he grows up good and proper, he might actually get an impressive beard like that," Fili joked, receiving a scathing glare from his Naddith.

"Again, show your elders some respect, you rude orc!" Kili scolded, shaking his finger at his brother. "Or my letting the cat out of the bag won't be an accident, if you know what I mean."

"All right, all right," Fili surrendered, holding up his hands. "I'll be good if you will." And when they all heard the sound of footsteps coming down the hallway, he added. "And now's the time for us all to behave…got it!"

With a chorus of agreements and nods of understanding, everyone turned to face the doorway, watching as a lovely golden-haired dwarrowdam entered the room.

"Sigrid, Bain and Tilda, may I introduce to you, the Lady Réann from the Grey Mountains. An honored guest of King Thorin's, and ours as well this evening," Bard stated.

"You are most welcome, Réann," Sigrid greeted, stepping forward and taking her hands in hers and pulling her forward into their circle. "Any friend of Dwalin's is a friend of ours."

"Thank you very much," Réann beamed, already feeling at ease around the king's family. "I can't wait to get to know you all better, and perhaps learn a few things about my companions here tonight. I'm certain that you all have many amusing stories you could tell me about them."

"Do we ever!" Bain barked out with a laugh. "Just wait till you hear the one about how Dwalin crawled out of our toilet the first time he visited our home in Lake Town!"

"Oh, for the love of Mahal…must you always tell that story?" Fili moaned, shutting his eyes and shaking his head. This was going to be a very long night.

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As it turned out, between the good food, the infectious laughter, and excellent company, the evening went by very quickly…almost too quickly for Fili's taste. For here he was in his element, able to talk, joke, and share tales…all with Réann by his side. For once he was not being forced to keep the two of them hidden away, or on constant alert should anyone discover them. She also seemed to enjoy the more relaxed environment, and Fili had never seen her smile or laugh so much in all the time he'd known her. Réann was truly a breath of fresh air and he couldn't help but want to keep things this way forever.

"And then, Bard here had them drop an entire load of fish onto his barge, filling up the barrels we were hiding in!" Kili was telling Réann, the poor lass now almost doubled over with laughter. "So, there we were, up to our beards in dead herring, and we couldn't say a single word of protest for fear of being discovered. To this day I still can't stand the feel of a slimy fish in my hands…or anywhere else for that matter. It's a wonder I can still stomach to eat the slippery things."

"Oh, please stop!" Réann gasped, tears of joy now streaming down her cheeks. "I swear I'll suffocate from being unable to catch my breath. And here we back in the Grey Mountains only believe King Thorin's quest to have been one of pure seriousness. If only they could hear half of this!"

"Now don't go ruining our stellar reputations," Fili warned her jokingly. "Can't have everyone knowing that most of what took place was purely by accident."

"Or that if not for the skill of a Hobbit, most of it wouldn't have come to pass at all," Nori added. "I sure miss our furry-footed friend."

"I would have dearly loved to have met this Bilbo Baggins," Réann wished out loud. "He sounds like an exceptional creature, and marvelous traveling companion."

"That he was," Kili nodded. "And perhaps the next time he comes to visit Erebor, you can make his acquaintance."

"Oh, I highly doubt that," Réann said sadly. "For the remaining dams will be sent home as soon as the prince chooses his bride, so I fear my chances of doing so will be slim to none." Here she couldn't help but glance at her blond companion with hopeful eyes, though she quickly schooled her actions, fearing others might catch on.

Her telling words seemed to silence most everyone there, with only young Tilda eyeing everyone in confusion.

"Why would you be going home after Prince Fili chooses a bride," she questioned, causing several of the adults to look at her, fearing she might be about to say something detrimental. "I mean, aren't you one of the candidates? What if he chooses you?"

"I…I highly doubt that he will find me worthy of such an honor," Réann stammered, doing her best to sound diplomatic. "I mean, he has so many other fine lasses to pick from."

"Well, from where I sit, I see no better choice then you, dear lady," Bard interjected. "The prince would be a fool not to make you his queen." Here he let his gaze drift knowingly to Fili. "Unless, of course, it be your wish to pursue another?"

"I just don't believe I'm queen material," Réann answered with a blush, purposefully looking everywhere but the eyes of the dwarrow beside her.

"I never thought I was cut out to be a princess either," Tilda broke in. "Yet look at me now, forced to wear fancy dresses, curtsy till my knees ache, and not allowed to lift a finger to help out in my own house." At this she stopped, suddenly not sure if she was trying to convince Réann that it was a good thing…or a bad one.

"Tilda is right," Sigrid added, saving her little sister from speaking further. "One can never truly dictate their own futures, often duty and honor are thrust upon us. Still, at other times, your destiny comes in disguise, with you thinking its one thing but turning out to be another entirely. Never discount fate…or turn away from love, Lady Réann. It might just be staring you in the face without you knowing it."

Here Fili tore his eyes off of Réann, not wanting her to look up suddenly and see him staring right at her. That would be far too telling. Yet, he knew without a doubt that it was love he felt for his Grey Mountain lass, the true and pure kind that would last forever. His heart called to hers, telling him that she was his One, and nothing could ever persuade him otherwise. Oh, he would be choosing a bride soon, and it would be Réann. He would have her…or no other.

Just then, the time piece on the King's mantel chimed the hour, giving Kili the perfect excuse to end this line of conversation. He had been watching his brother all evening, loving just how happy he seemed in Réann's company. For the longest time, Kili had feared his Nadad would be trapped in a loveless marriage, forced to spend the rest of his life with a dam he couldn't respect. Yet, now his only concern was that she might learn the truth about Fili's ruse and reject him because of it. Well, that couldn't happen, and he was determined to do all he could to prevent it…including getting them out of here before something was said that ruined everything.

"Oh, will you look at the time!" he gasped. "We best be heading back before Bofur and Ori decide we got lost and leave their post at the secret door."

"Yes, you're right," Nori nodded, also having noticed how the conversation had turned uncomfortably real in a hurry. "As much as we hate to part such delightful company, all good things must come to an end."

"Well, we do hope you all can come again soon," Bard offered, realizing just what had prompted the end of their pleasant conversation. "We've had a great time and thank you all for coming."

"It was our pleasure," Fili assured him, and finding that he meant it. He looked forward to more easy times like these, when everyone could just be themselves…not counting the fact that he was pretending to be Dwalin and his brother currently looked a hundred years older. "We must do it again."

"And soon," Bard agreed, everyone standing up and escorting them to the door. He paused at the entrance, looking over at Réann. "Did you wish to change back into your riding clothes, Lady?"

"No need," she grinned, having fully recovered from how uncomfortable she had become when discussing her possible matchup with the prince. Here she reached down and unbuttoned something at her waist, with her full skirt easily being removed, showing that she still wore her trousers underneath. "I'm all set."

This had both Sigrid and Tilda begging her for the pattern for such a garment. The two princesses hated the fact that they were forced to dress as ladies befitting their station and missed the practicality of trousers when riding.

"Do give my regards to your king." Bard continued as they all stepped outside. But then he stopped, giving it some thought. "Unless by doing so you might give yourselves away…then don't bother."

"I'm sure you will have future opportunities to give King Thorin your regards in person," Kili assured him, taking the reins from the young man holding them. "Until then, we bid you good night."

"Safe journey," Sigrid called, with each of them waving goodbye as the four dwarves rode down the street and towards the city gates.

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"Well, that was rather fun," Nori said proudly as they exited the gates of Dale, sounding as if he had orchestrated the whole evening himself.

"It was indeed," Réann agreed. "And who knew that you three…as well as the rest of your company, had run into so much trouble on your way to kill a dragon. One would have thought that would have been the hard part, but just getting there was an adventure in itself."

"Well, every good tale must have a beginning, a middle, and an end," Fili reminded her. "You can't just skip to the part where 'they all lived happily ever after', can you?"

"It would certainly cause less heart ache and trouble," she told him, sounding far more serious than she intended.

"And a great deal less embarrassment, too!" Nori added, laughing merrily. "And believe me, we never even scratched the surface of stories surrounding our travels. Galin here never got a chance to mention the trouble we had in the troll cave…or his slight mix up with the elves in Rivendell. Apparently, his eyesight is fading so much, he couldn't tell a lad from a lass!"

"HEY!" Kili balked. "It's not my fault they all have such creamy skin and high cheekbones, not to mention the long hair!"

At this the other three broke out in laughter, which launched an entirely new set of stories surrounding their adventure, keeping them well entertained all the way back to Erebor.

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Nori led the group back to the base of the mountain, where his wench and pulley device still waited. He helped the three aboard and signaled to Bofur above to start pulling them up, while he took the ponies back around to the stables. He told them not to worry, that he could slip the mounts back inside unseen just as easily as he had taken them out in the first place.

Once they were back above on the ledge, Ori opened the door from the inside, ushering them all back inside. This was where they parted ways, with Kili, Ori and Bofur heading in one direction, while Fili said he would see that Réann made it back to the Lady's Chambers safely.

It took a while to circumnavigate the mountain, avoiding all patrols and miscellaneous dwarves milling around at that time of night, but they made it to the hall outside Réann's quarters at last. Peeking around the corner, he saw two of the dwarrowdams standing guard outside the doors, ready to turn any and all away that didn't belong within.

"Are you sure you can get back in without anyone getting suspicious?" Fili questioned, not wanting her to get caught now, after all the trouble they went through already.

"They don't even give us maids a second look," Réann assured him. "And thankfully, they rotate the guards often enough that they've never quite figured out what any of us look like…or our maids."

"Good," Fili smiled. He then gave a cautious look to the left and right, making sure that no one was nearby to see them. "Would it be unacceptable for me to ask if I might kiss you goodnight?"

"Bold perhaps…but not unacceptable," she grinned, having hoped he would indeed ask exactly that. And tipping her chin up so he might have easy access to her lips, she made no protest when he brought his down on hers.

It was a simple kiss, not of the same urgency they shared back in the forest, but full of meaning, nonetheless. It proved their relationship was growing, evolving into something familiar, and Fili loved the way it made him feel. It felt natural and right, something that would last the ages. He couldn't wait until they wouldn't have to part at night, but instead, share their kisses as they fell asleep in each other's arms.

"Good night, my handsome warrior," Réann told him, once the kiss had ended. "Sleep well."

"I will," he grinned. "For my dreams shall all be of you."

And with one final longing look, she backed away, turning the corner reluctantly as she headed for her chambers.

Fili stood there listening until he heard the guards give her admittance, not saying a word that would alert him to her being found out. When all was quiet once again, he made his way back to his own quarters, with a skip in his step and a smile on his face.

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He found Kili sitting in the middle of his room with Ori, Bofur, and Nori, all crowded around, attempting to get the fake facial hair off of him.

"I thought you said it would come off with soap and water!" his younger brother squawked, tugging at the beard anxiously.

"That's what I was told," Ori said in a nervous tone. "Here, let's try just a bit more soap." And reaching up he took the bar in his hand and began to work up a frothy lather all over the beard and mustache glued to Kili's face.

"Careful! You're getting it in my mouth!" the young prince sputtered, spitting out soap bubbles.

"Just think of this as punishment for all the times your mother caught you using foul speech," Bofur laughed. "I know my amad washed out my mouth more than a few times when I was a lad."

"There!" Ori said triumphantly. "See, it's starting to loosen. Give me a few more minutes and you should be hairless once again."

"Hey! I have facial hair!" And as they began to pull harder on the fake one, he squawked even louder. "And I'd like to keep what's mine attached to my face, thank you very much!"

"First you want it off, now you want to keep it on! Make up your mind, Kili," Nori chided him, still grinning from ear to ear.

At last, the beard, mustache, and eyebrows were safely removed, and his face completely cleansed of the egg-white wash. And other than the grey streaks in his hair, which he insisted on washing out on his own, Kili was back to normal. Thanking the three for all their help, Fili saw them to the door and wished them a pleasant evening. When it was just him and his brother at last, the blond prince fell into a chair with a sigh.

"Was that a happy sigh?" Kili asked, though he already knew the answer. "Did you get a kiss goodnight?"

"Aye, that I did," Fili grinned. "The first of many, if I have any say in the matter." His expression then turned to one of worry. "But what if she won't have anything to do with me when she finds out? What if I've already sabotaged the whole thing by lying to her about who I truly am? Oh, if I could only go back in time, I would shout it to the mountain top who I truly am, and never have lied to her in the first place."

"You can't turn back the clock, Nadad," Kili told him sadly. "You can only continue on, and hope when you do fess up, she'll understand. But if you ask me, she's so head over heels for you now, she won't care if she found out you were the king himself. You say you love the lass…then have some faith in her, will you. And don't go admitting defeat before the battle is over."

"You're right," Fili agreed. "I need to have faith. I will win the lass, of this I swear. Because if not…well, I don't know what I'd do then."

"We'll figure it out together, Brother," Kili swore. "I promise."

There you go! One dinner in Dale down and no cats were let out of any bags. There was a lot of funny stories tossed about though, so that was fun.

Fili is really worried now. He knows he screwed up and must pay the piper before he can claim his love.

Next chapter...Dola arrives from the Blue Mountains! The beginning of the end for Fili's ruse. ha ha.

Guest Reviews:

Ash: (3) Thanks for joining us! Yep, a loveable doof, that's our Fili. Males have a harder time coming clean and saying they're sorry. Fili is my favorite dwarf - as you can see from all six of my Fili stories, so I can't help but write about him! (5) Who is quite likeable? Or are you just saying the story is in general? Either way, I'm happy. (8) I wish I had the time and talent to draw...I used to, but it's been so long I bet I forgot how. That and I'm my worst critic so I would never think I did Fili justice. So good for you for taking the time to do so. A brooding Fili is sexy! (12) Oh, of course everything will blow up in his face...eventually. But I promise it won't leave any lasting scars. As for future works from me, at the moment I've been kind of pulled away from the Hobbit Forum and over to the Mandalorian forum. Baby Yoda has stolen my heart, and Mando's pretty hot too. So I'm writing a story about them that I hope to be posting once I've got enough chapters under my belt. But you never know if and when I'll be back to Middle Earth...or to the Phantom of the Opera forum (I write over there under the name FantomPhan33). I do tend to jump around and follow my muse.

Ash: (For A Different Kind of Thirst) - I'm glad you found this story wholesome and cute. Fili is ALWAYS a gem! ha ha. I've often thought about 'filing off the cereal numbers' so to speak and publishing some of these as original stories, but that's a lot of work. I hope to do so with Enthralled though, for it being a Viking story, it would be far easier than one of the Dwarf ones. Thanks for the encouragement on that. (For Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed) You've read most of my works? Which ones? I've seen reviews on three so far - Leaving Little Son of Durin and Enthralled as the last two. It's the size that's holding you back, isn't it. They are both very daunting. ha ha. I'm so happy you like my characters, writing style and plots. That's very kind of you to say. I have to give a lot of the credit to my beta readers for helping me catch all my little boo-boos...though even they miss one or two at times as a few have snuck through to posting. Thanks for loving the Fili - he appreciates your support. :)

Emrfangirl: Nori has a whole bag of tricks, some even he doesn't know about yet (since he stole them probably). As you can see, they did indeed make it through the whole evening without anyone spilling the beans. Good for them. Glad you are not worried about Nori and Reann. Nope, there's now way she would drop her dwarf now. ha ha.

Travelbug: Nori's plans are never simple...that's what makes them so much fun...and work! Glad you liked the use of the secret entrance...I say it has been highly underused thus far. And Kili didn't want to miss out on the fun, and would have pouted something fierce if he had been replaced as Fili's brother in any form. I think the more dwarves involved, the more fun it is. As you saw, ALL of Bard's kids got in the act, and no one spilled the beans either. Thanks for the kind review, and as you saw in my Author's notes...Dola is arriving in the next chapter!